Love! Happiness! Beauty! There’re not so many days in a year when we
pronounce these pleasant words. Today you have an excellent chance to plunge
into the atmosphere of love, to take part in party-games, to practice the use of
some pleasant words and expressions on this special occasion. Happy St.
Valentine’s Day!

II. Warm-up
activities.

We’ve got two teams, and we shall see which team knows more about the holiday.
Here are some activities for you

1. Answer some questions.

1. What is the first name for Valentine’s Day? (Lupeicalia. The Romans called
it so.)

2. Who named her palace “The Valentine” and when? (A French princess, Madame
Royall in 17th century.)

3. Who wrote the Valentine poems on the wall of the Tower of London? (A
French Duke was captured by the English in a battle and put into prison. He was
put in the Tower of London. There he wrote Valentine poems. It was Charles, Duke
of Orleans.)

4. Do you know anything about the legend(s) of how St. Valentine’s Day began?
Tell us, please.
(When the Roman emperor Claudius II needed soldiers, he made a law against
marrying, because he felt that marriage made men want to stay at home instead of
fighting wars.
Now, a kindly priest named Valentine, seeing the love of young couples, married
some secretly J3ut he was exposed and condemned to death.
Even in prison, Valentine showed his love for everyone. His jailer had a young
daughter who was blind. And by a miracle, Valentine restored her sight. Just
before his death, on February 14th, he sent her a farewell message signed “From
your Valentine.”)
There are many other legends about how Valentine’s Day started, and no one knows
for sure whether any of them are true.

2. What is to get a red mitten on Valentine’s Day? (It means that his! her
girl/boy doesn’t like him/her.)

3. What is Cupid with his bow and arrow? (It is a symbol of love)

4. What is lace on a Valentine’s Card? (It means you have caught m heart in a
net.)

5.What was the name of the first English actress who began to make and
sell the first Valentines in England? (Kate Greenaway in the 18th century.)

6.What is the ribbon on a Valentine Card? (It means you are tied up, you
are my girl.)

7. Can you say anything about the magic, which was tried on Valentine’s Eve?
(One young lady pinned four bay leaves to the corners of her pillow and one in
the middle. Then she dreamed of her sweetheart. She thought that meant she would
be married to him soon.)

(St. Valentine’s Day came to be celebrated in most of the countries of
Europe. Sicily is an island south of Italy. There a young girl would stand at
her window for half an hour before sunrise. If no one went by, she believed that
year she would not marry. If she saw a man pass, she thought she would marry him
or someone who looked like him.)

(In Germany girls try another way of learning whom they would marry. They
planted onions on St. Valentine’s Day. Each girl tagged several dry onions in a
corner near the fireplace. She thought she would marry the man whose onion
sprouted first.)

4. You are to match all these parts in order to make the poem about love.

What is love?
is still unsure:
sweet and twenty,
present mirth hath
will not endure.
what’s to come
‘tis not hereafter
in delay kiss me,
youth’s a stuff
present laughter;

What is love? ‘tis not hereafter
Present mirth hath present laughter;
What’s to come is still unsure:
In delay kiss me, sweet and twenty,
Youth’s a stuff will not endure.

……keeping her lips busy.
……speaking politely, when you meet her.
……telling her that she is beautiful, even if is worse than Baba-Yaga.
……giving him many beautiful presents.
……helping him with his homework.
……giving him a notebook with a quiz.

And what some famous people think about love.

Love can hope where reason would despair. (Lord Lyttleton)

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.
(Peter Ustinou)

9. Every student begins by standing on a heart that has been
taped to the floor. Start the music and have the students walk around the room.
When the music stops they need to stand on a heart or they’re out. Remove one
heart after each musical segment.

10. Our last task is to make up as many words as possible using the letters in
the words:

“Saint Valentine’s Day.”

And now listen to the results, please.

I think everyone understands what love means for you.

“Love is …” by Greg SceisaLove is … a tender feeling,
Love is … a way of being,
Love is … just showing someone you care.
Love is … helping with the dishes
Love is … feeding your pet fishes
Love is … just giving with your heart
Love is …
L-O-V-E
Love is …
For you and me
Oh! Love is the greatest thing in the world.

We love you! Feel sure that our affection will give you happiness, love and
mutual understanding in the future.